Applying repertory grids technique for knowledge elicitation in quality function deployment

The repertory grids technique is applied in quality function deployment to elicit the voice of the customers and to derive the importance for each customer requirement from a group of customers. In addition, the repertory grids technique can be used in the relationship matrix to quantify the numerical relationships between customer requirements and technical measures from a group of team members. An integration of the repertory grids technique and quality function deployment would make quality function deployment systematically to gather customer needs for better product or service planning and to determine the relationships between customer requirements and technical measures since the final analyses rely heavily on the results of this relationship matrix. A case illustration is provided to show the usefulness of applying the repertory grids technique in quality function deployment.     

Applying fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) to identify solutions of service delivery system for port of Kaohsiung

The main purpose of this paper is to apply fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) model to identify solutions of service delivery system (SDS) for port of Kaohsiung from the viewpoints of customers. At first, to facilitate the main issue of the QFD problem, however, the ‘what’ question of customer needs and ‘how’ problem of the services have to be made, which are two major components and be emphasized on the house of quality (HOQ) matrices. In conjunction with fuzzy sets theory, hence, the systematic procedures using fuzzy QFD were proposed in this paper. Subsequently, a case study for port of Kaohsiung demonstrated the systematic appraisal process for identifying solutions of SDS. The results of empirical study show that (1) 10 key factors are deemed as to have priority to improve the quality of SDS for Kaohsiung port; and (2) eight feasible solutions for improving service quality performance are identified. Moreover, it is suggested that port Authority of Kaohsiung should listen attentively the voice of customers and emphasize on exploiting these customer requirements effectively. And then develop the ‘how’ issues of profiles of solutions, which should continuously strengthen the perspectives of customer, internal business process, and learning and growth, respectively.     

A fuzzy group decision-making approach in quality function deployment

Quality function deployment (QFD) is comprised of two major group decision-making processes. One is to collect the customer requirements from a group of customers, whereas the other is to determine the relationship between customer requirements and technical measures by a cross-functional team. Generally, different and/or even subjective opinions are quite often in a group decision-making process due to the limitations of experience and impreciseness. Obviously, the importance of each customer requirement and the relationship between customer requirements and technical measures are determined by a group of people with imprecision and vagueness. Under such circumstances, a fuzzy group decision-making approach can be applied in QFD to deal with a group decision-making process when the information is imprecise and fuzzy. Moreover, an example is provided as well as the computational steps to show this fuzzy group decision-making approach can be effectively used in QFD to make decisions with imprecision and vagueness.     

基于质量功能展开的连锁家饰店服务质量研究

质量功能展开(Quality Function Deployment,QFD)是一种透过质量屋的运作,系统地将顾客需求转换成工程要求的技术的方法。文中应用QFD导入PZB服务质量模式,整合模糊理论、Kano二维质量模式及顾客满意效益系数,分析连锁家饰店顾客服务质量需求的权重与排序,再以灰关联分析理论确定连锁家饰店各项工程要求质量的灰关联度值与排序,有助于经营者明确提高服务质量的重点。     

Using integrated quality assessment for hotel service quality

In the age of growing foreign tourism, providing excellent quality service at hotels is increasingly more important. Service quality and customer satisfaction have gradually been recognized as key factors used to gain competitive advantage and customer retention. Most companies conducted satisfaction surveys of their customers, with a view of using analysed results to identify attributes of potential improvement. However, this kind improvement decisions on the attributes with a lower satisfaction level needs not to be appropriated. Thus, to achieve higher levels of overall satisfaction with the hotel experience, this study combined four simple methods, including Kano’s model, refined Kano’s model, Importance-Satisfaction model, and the Improvement index, to evaluate two types of hotels. The integrated approach of service quality measurement is based on the importance and satisfaction survey of the quality attributes. The survey, with 24 attributes and service items, were administrated to a random sample of 400 customers at one business hotel and one resort hotel in Taiwan. The strategies of these two kinds of hotels were compared and discussed in this study. On the basis of the key quality attributes identified by employing the integrated approach, which are significantly different from those identified on the basis of a simple satisfaction survey, hotels can make appropriate decisions on specific areas for improvement to further enhance the hotel service quality in Taiwan.     

用模糊层次分析法确定QFD中消费者要求权重

质量功能配置(QualityFunctionDeployment,QFD),是能在产品开发及生产的各个阶段,将顾客要求转化为合理的技术要求的整体概念。在实施QFD的过程中,确定消费者的要求权重是一个关键而不可缺少的步骤。本文将模糊一致矩阵引入层次分析中,通过建立模糊一致矩阵来确定QFD中消费者要求权重。由于模糊一致矩阵更符合人们在决策过程中的心理特性,因此,它能提高确定消费者的要求权重的准确性。最后,用一个实例阐述了这种方法在QFD中确定消费者的要求权重中的应用。     

Service quality of travel agents in Turkey

Customer satisfaction is an important measure of service quality in travel agents. Customers’ perceptions about agents seem to have been largely ignored by agent management in developing countries. The assessment of service quality provides an important feedback for agents to assess and improve its service to its customers. The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and valid instrument measure customer satisfaction in travel agents. A questionnaire to measure the service quality of travel agents was used and a total of 217 customers in Turkey were interviewed. Factor analysis was utilized to determine the factor structure. The instrument of the customer satisfaction developed in this study provides insights to the researches who study the improvement of customer satisfaction with service quality of travel agents and decision markers.     

Developing a quality improvement program in materiel management

Materiel management frequently considers itself a service organization but infrequently considers the service provided as contributing to quality patient care. Quality patient care can only be delivered if every department is delivering quality service. Materiel management's ultimate customer is the patient waiting for the supply that is to be delivered by central stores or the prosthetic device to be obtained through purchasing. Quality service is the key to success, and materiel management must be proactive and deliver quality services.     

A group decision-making method with fuzzy set theory and genetic algorithms in quality function deployment

Quality function deployment (QFD) has been developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in order to reduce time and shorten design times. QFD is composed of a set of matrices referred to as the house of quality (HOQ). A HOQ matrix can help the cross-functional team to translate customer requirements (CRs) into engineering goals. The importance of CRs and the relationships between CRs and technical characteristics (TCs) are obtained by a group of people with vague and fuzzy decision-making processes in the HOQ. In the conditions, a group decision-making method by using the combination of fuzzy set theory and genetic algorithms (GAs) can be used in QFD to determine the importance of each TC. Besides, a numerical example is illustrated to show that this group decision-making method by using the combination of fuzzy set theory and GAs can be reliably and precisely applied in QFD including TCs at the two-level hierarchy with the consideration of some constraints regarding budget and time limits of TCs for prioritizing TCs to effectively make decisions with fuzziness and ambiguousness.     

浅谈提升中小城市酒店服务质量的对策

近几年中小城市酒店业发展势头迅猛,但其服务质量却与大城市中小酒店的服务存在较大的差距。文章从提升服务质量对中小城市酒店发展的重要性入手,分析了顾客对中小城市酒店服务质量的要求和中小城市酒店服务质量存在的问题及原因,提出了建立完善的酒店服务制度、明确酒店工作流程和服务标准、创新酒店服务类型、优化服务过程、加强酒店培训、完善酒店质量监控体系等措施,以提升酒店服务质量和酒店管理水平。     

Multi-layer quality function deployment (QFD) approach for improving the compromised quality satisfaction under the agency problem: A 3D QFD design for the asset selection problem in the shipping industry

The aim of this paper is to improve the quality function deployment (QFD) method by utilizing requirements of both the major customer and the service provider. The QFD method was first applied to the shipbuilding industry and the main goal of the method is to improve the production processes by using customer requirements in connection with the related technical measures of the product. However, one of the critical criticisms of the QFD is based on the lack of proper budget assessment and the satisfaction of the producer (or service provider). The multi-layer QFD design is proposed to collect responses from both customer and the service provider so as to ensure satisfaction of all parties including financial feasibility of the intended improvements. Hence, the agency problem between parties will be eliminated.     

当前中国电信客户关系管理中的问题及对策分析

提高客户关系管理水平和质量对于实现中国电信的持续健康发展具有不可忽视的重要意义。当前中国电信客户关系管理过程中存在缺陷,如不重视客户关系管理、缺乏实施客户关系管理的整体规划、对于客户信息分析整合力度明显不够等等。因此,为在日益激烈的电信市场竞争中占据有利地位,需进一步树立以客户为中心的经营服务理念、完善客户信息管理平台、以人为本,提供个性化差异化的服务、推行服务型的营销策略等。     

The impact of employee satisfaction on quality and profitability in high-contact service industries

The extant operations management literature has extensively investigated the associations among quality, customer satisfaction, and firm profitability. However, the influence of employee attributes on these performance dimensions has rarely been examined. In this study we investigate the impact of employee satisfaction on operational performance in high-contact service industries. Based on an empirical study of 206 service shops in Hong Kong, we examined the hypothesized relationships among employee satisfaction, service quality, customer satisfaction, and firm profitability. Using structural equations modeling, we found that employee satisfaction is significantly related to service quality and to customer satisfaction, while the latter in turn influences firm profitability. We also found that firm profitability has a moderate non-recursive effect on employee satisfaction, leading to a “satisfaction–quality–profit cycle”. Our empirical investigation suggests that employee satisfaction is an important consideration for operations managers to boost service quality and customer satisfaction. We provide empirical evidence that employee satisfaction plays a significant role in enhancing the operational performance of organizations in the high-contact service sector.     

A case study on the application of Fuzzy QFD in TRIZ for service quality improvement

The improvement of service quality so as to enhance customer satisfaction has been widely mentioned over the past few decades. However, a creative and systematic way of achieving higher customer satisfaction in terms of service quality is rarely discussed. Recently, TRIZ, a Russian acronym which means “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving,” has been proven to be a well-structured and innovative way to solve problems in both technical and non-technical areas. In this study, a systematic model based on the TRIZ methodology is proposed to generate creative solutions for service quality improvement. This is done by examining first the determinants of service quality based on a comprehensive qualitative study in the electronic commerce sector. Then the correlation between the imprecise requirements from customers and the determinants of service quality is analyzed with Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in order to identify the critical determinants relating to customer satisfaction. After which, the corresponding TRIZ engineering parameters can be effectively applied in the TRIZ contradiction matrix to identify the inventive principles. A case study is illustrated to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in an e-commerce company, and its results are presented to show the applicability of the TRIZ methodology in the e-service sector.     

基于顾客导向的物流服务质量评价研究

从客户角度出发,参照SERVQUAL质量评价体系,建立基于顾客导向的物流服务质量评价体系,运用动态模糊综合评价方法对物流服务质量进行综合评价,结果显示动态模糊综合评价方法能够准确地反映出第物流服务失误之所在,并用实例论证了该评价方法的可行性。     

如何改进硬件售后维护的质量管理体系

激烈的市场竞争要求硬件生产商更注重设备售后维护的质量,以保持高的客户满意度。TL9000质量管理体系被全球电信产品提供商广泛用于硬件、软件和服务的质量管理。本文以通信网络设备生产商为背景,通过分析通信产品售后维护的模式和归纳TL9000在售后维护上的要求条款,发现TL9000缺乏针对产品售后维护多部门多接口的工作模式,和产品知识的继承与共享的质量管理。这两方面的质量管理对于能否圆满完成客户服务协议的和提高客户满意度有着重要的影响。所以需要对TL9000的要求条款进行补充,并在实践过程中细化工作流程。     

基于顾客导向的企业服务承诺的设计与实施

服务承诺(service guarantee)作为一种重要的营销手段,在各类企业中得到越来越广泛的使用。基于顾客导向的服务承诺的设计与实施,可以更好地满足顾客需求和增加购买意愿,有利于提高企业的服务质量和增强市场竞争力。在服务承诺的设计过程中,需要选择服务承诺的类型、设计具体流程;在服务承诺的实施过程中,需要对整个实施过程进行有效监控,具体包括加强顾客导向的服务过程管理、对服务失误进行补救以及服务承诺的效果评估和反馈优化。     

Operational,organizational, and human resource factors predictive of customer perceptions of service quality

The overall objective of this study was to examine the relationship between total quality management (TQM) factors and business unit performance as measured by customer perceptions of service quality. Data were collected from 26 business units of larger service organizations. Analyses confirmed our hypotheses that customer perceptions would be a function of a combination of operational, organizational, and human resource factors that have been associated with TQM.     

An application of six sigma methodology to enhance leisure service quality

Thanks to flourishing development of the service industry for the past few years, its GDP output value is over 73%, which accounts for 58% of the employment population. The leisure service industry, in particular grows by multiple revealing its significant importance. As there is a feature of high homogeneity and substitution in the same trade, the core issue lies on enhancement of service quality in an environment of keen competition. As a result, six sigma (6σ) is applied in this research to improve service quality and increase competitiveness of the leisure industry. First, the service quality model proposed by Parasuraman, A., V. A. Zeithaml, and L. L. Berry (PZB model for short) is utilized to design the items in the service quality questionnaire. Importance and satisfaction of each service item perceived by customers are based for the scale, whose means are further converted to indexes. Thus, a scale-based service performance evaluation matrix with indices of importance as the Y-axis and those of satisfaction as the X-axis is defined. Then, service factors of high importance and low satisfaction are located and defined for improvement in accordance with the index location of each service factor. A measurement model based on the difference between customers’ importance and satisfaction is proposed and a measurement index is defined for an objective evaluation method and procedures. Next, factors of customer dissatisfaction are analyzed and improvement methods are devised. Finally, leisure service quality is monitored by the performance control model.     

CRM在酒店管理系统中的设计与应用

客户关系管理(CRM)是一种新的管理理念,在企业的具体实践中引入这一理念有利于企业去管理并分析宝贵的客户数据,从而更加了解和更准确预测客户的需要,改善客户服务质量,不断改进与客户关系,提高客户满意度以及加强客户的忠诚度。文章介绍了一个实用的酒店管理信息系统的设计和实现方法,针对目前传统酒店管理信息系统中存在的缺陷,重点论述了如何把CRM理念引入该管理信息系统中。实践证明,该系统具有良好的性能和较强的适用性。